FIFA allowed the fourth substitution in the playoff matches of 2018 World Cup

FIFA decided to approve the possibility of making the fourth substitution during the extra time of the 2018 play-off matches.

This practice was tested at the club level in the FA Cup and Germany, at the national team level – at the Olympic football tournament in Brazil, the World Women’s Under-20 Championship and the Confederations Cup.

For the first time the fourth substitution was used in the official match at the level of the national teams in the match of the teams of Portugal and Chile in the semi-final of the Confederations Cup in 2017. At the 116th minute, the Portuguese player Gelson Martins replaced Andre Gomes.

Previously, the FIFA Council also approved the use of a video replay system at World Cup.